


When You're Ready

by Walkinthegarden



Series: Upturned Face [2]
Category: Property Brothers RPF
Genre: Abuse, Bittersweet Ending, F/M, Gen, Physical Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-26
Updated: 2015-03-26
Packaged: 2018-03-19 18:37:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3620130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Walkinthegarden/pseuds/Walkinthegarden
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Drew's girlfriend Linda isn't about to leave a battered wife without at least giving the woman an option.</p><p>**Companion Piece/Sequel to Leave Her Behind</p>
            </blockquote>





	When You're Ready

**Author's Note:**

> This is a companion piece or sequel to Leave Her Behind. I started thinking about it, and I don't know how men really feel about abuse, other than they hate it. My dad and male friends are the first person to threaten a man that hits a woman, but I feel women have a different perspective on abuse. Men think: I would never do that. Women think: What if that were me?
> 
> At least in my house, when my mom talked to me about relationships, she told me exactly what to do if I got into an abusive relationship. Basically she addressed that it might happen. My girl friends have had it addressed as well while my guy friends say it was never brought up in their dating talks. All their fathers or mothers said was treat a girl right.
> 
> So I think women take it a little more personally when they know of someone else in that situation because they put themselves in that situation. Because of this, I couldn't see Drew's girlfriend leaving without at least TRYING to help. She's sensible, she knows she can't save someone, but she thinks a little more outside the box.

When Drew tells her about the abused wife, Linda’s heart goes out to her. She can’t imagine Drew ever hitting her, and the thought that a husband is doing that to his wife makes her sick.

 

She listens patiently as her boyfriend tells her everything, she can hear the frustration in his voice. Drew doesn’t like being powerless, and not being able to help a woman whose life may very well be constantly in danger is probably about as powerless as he’s ever been. He’s angry, at the husband, the wife, himself, and in general.

 

Linda calms him down the best way she knows how, by coaxing him into bed and curling up in his arms. She knows by the way he holds her tightly that this isn’t something he’s going to forget any time soon. Before he drifts off to sleep (as restless as it will be) he whispers that he’ll never raise his hand to her. She murmurs that she knows.

 

When they shoot the big reveal, she knows Drew’s trying hard not to punch out the husband. He’s not a violent person, but he’s very strict on how he believes you should treat a woman… or anyone for that matter.

 

The wife is smiling like nothing is wrong, a pound of makeup caking her face. It makes Linda sick to watch as she stands proudly beside her husband, who has their oldest child on his arm.

 

When they pack up and ready to leave, she notices the way Jonathan hugs the wife goodbye a little too tight. He’s struggling almost as much as Drew with the thought of leaving this young woman alone with such a brutal man.

 

Just before it’s time to go, Linda does the only thing she can think of. She follows the wife into the nursery and makes the only offer she has.

 

“When you’re ready to leave,” she scribbles her cell number on the back of her business card and hands it to the wife, “we’ll find you a job.”

 

The wife stares at her in shock, and Linda takes that moment to leave. She returns to Drew and the camera crew, and slips into the car with their camera man while Drew and Jonathan get in a different car.

 

They can’t save this woman, but they can give her a fighting chance if she wants it, and Linda clings to that thought as they drive away.


End file.
